The Lightning Thief APOV
by lulu1019
Summary: This is basically just The Lightning Thief book 1 in Annabeth's point of view. I'm pretty bad at titles, I couldn't think of anything creative: so this is it. If you come up with a better title, tell me, and and if I like it I'll use it. PLEASE READ!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

"How was archery?" asked Silena, on her way to the stables.

"It was fine, I missed a few, though," I replied. Silena looked shocked.

"_You_ miss a shot in _archery_?" she asked. I smiled. She thought I could do anything and everything, that I was super smart, and that I couldn't fail at anything. Well, I mean, I am pretty good at archery. Okay, fine, I always get bulls-eyes, but that's beside the fact. Talk about living up to expectations.

" I just have a lot on my mind, that's all," I told her. Her expression softened.

"Annabeth, you need to stop worrying about the gods. Whatever the problem is, they'll probably fix it." When I rolled my eyes, she added: " What I mean is, they _are_ three-thousand years old, right? So, I think they're old enough to work the issue out, don't you?"

I knew she meant well, but her explanation just seemed hard to believe. She gave me an assuring pat on the shoulder, and then walked off to give her Pegasus riding lessons. I sighed, and went on my way as well.

"To the gods!" cried Chiron, raising his glass.

"To the gods," we echoed, and then drank. Once the nymphs brought in the food, we gathered in a line at the fire pit. Soon, I was at the front of the line.

"Athena," I said, closing my eyes. _Mom, please, tell me what the issue in Olympus is about, I can help, I really can! Just, send a message, or something...because I know I'll be able to-_

"Annabeth?" said a voice behind me. It was Malcolm, my brother. He looked slightly concerned.

"Oh, right. Sorry, just got side-tracked," I said, shaking my head. He nodded, and threw in a handful of strawberries, saying, "Athena".

When we were all seated again, we ate, and then walked to the amphitheater for Apollo's sing-along.

When we finished, I called to cabin six, "Athena, line up!" and we went back to our cabin. That night, I didn't sleep well. Dreams clouded my mind, and the weird thing was, I had no idea what any of them meant. A boy, whom I had never seen, plunging into a river. As his body touched the surface of the water, the scene exploded into color and changed. A bolt of lightning, a tidal wave. Over and over again, becoming less and less clear, until I woke up in a light sweat.


	2. Chapter 2

MANY THANKS TO NERDIUS BOOKWORMIUS FOR THE FIRST REVIEW. I hope you like the next chapter:

Note: sorry that the last chapter was really short. as you know, percy narrates 2 or 3 chapter in the book before meeting annabeth, so I couldn't make up a lot. this chapter is sort of short as well, but i promise they'll get longer. PLEASE REVIEW! criticism welcome.

Chapter II

"But, Chiron, you must know _something_. Surely, even if my own mother won't tell me, you could?"

He looked at me with sad and caring eyes. "Annabeth, my dear, I do not want you to over excite yourself."

I sighed. Why did every adult I talked to think that the information was too much for me? I was sure I could handle whatever it was...and maybe help them work it out. I looked out into the starry night sky, not answering him so he saw my disappointment. I leaned on the porch, crossing my arms. Of course, I couldn't keep up this act for long. I was too desperate for an answer.

"Chiron," I said, turning coolly on my heel. "You know you can trust me, don't you? I wouldn't tell anyone else, and you could use my help." This was sinking pretty low; it was bordering on begging. I knew that Chiron was harder to convince than that, but it was all I had left.

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Annabeth, I understand your eagerness to help. I would help as well, if I could. But here, at camp, well...what I mean to say is, we're very... _contained_. Even if you knew what was happening, you wouldn't be able to help unless—"

"—I got a quest," I finished. I knew that. But I also knew that wishing for one was setting my hopes to high. There hadn't been any big quests for a while. Now that he had made that point, any argument from me would be pointless. I dropped my arms and walked over to the lawn chair in the corner of the porch. As I sat down, I looked up at Chiron, and I saw thousands of years of wisdom and sadness in his eyes. He was staring out into the night, deep in thought.

_There must be a way to find out what's going on_, I thought. _I'm sure Mom would tell me—but Zeus is probably holding her back. I know there's someone, somewhere, who knows—the person from the prophecy. That has to be it._

I snapped out of it when I heard a cry from the distance, somewhere over the hill. I looked at Chiron, who seemed to have been brought back to reality just recently as well. I opened my mouth to say something, but he held up a hand.

"It cannot be," he said in a whisper. I looked out into the night again, and saw nothing. And then—

"Is that—Grover?"

Chiron didn't answer. He was squinting at the odd figure—no, _figures_ coming up the hill. It was Grover. But, someone else...someone dragging him—

The boy collapsed onto the porch steps, holding Grover behind him. He rolled over, gasping for air, and Chiron and I looked down on him. And at once, I knew. This was it.

"He's the one. He must be." I said out loud.

Chiron looked at me with a grave look, saying, "Silence, Annabeth. He's still conscious. Bring him inside."

The boy's eyes closed, and together Chiron and I lifted him up, leaving him on the lawn chair. I kneeled next to him, although he was unconscious, while Chiron took Grover inside.

It _had_ to be him.

* * *

SO. chapter 2, mission accomplished. hope you liked it, and Ill see if i can update everyday or so...but finals are next week! so bear with me. Please review, even if you dont like it. **Thanks so much, lulu1019**


	3. Chapter 3

thanks for the awesome reviews, guys. i hope you like the next chapter!

Chapter III

For the next two days, I committed to taking care of the mysterious boy. I only volunteered for the chance that he might tell me what was going on. But after a while I had to accept that all he was going to do was sleep. And I was stuck with nursing him back to consciousness.

He stirred a few times, but just before I had a chance to ask him anything, he would drift back to sleep. According to Grover, his name was Perseus...aka Percy. Well, that would help me a lot. NOT. I had never heard of a Perseus besides Zeus's son, but he died, like, a long time ago.

So, I continued to feed him ambrosia by the spoon. It was like feeding a baby. He spit it out all the time, and he drooled a lot. And then once, by some miracle, he opened his eyes and made no notion of closing them immediately. So I attacked.

"What will happen at the summer solstice?" I asked him, pressuring him to answer.

He looked confused. In a throaty voice, he asked, "What?"

Maybe he didn't hear me? I looked around; making sure no one was near. Then I looked back at him, and asked, "What's going on? What was stolen?" I got carried away. "We've only got a few weeks!"

He looked even more confused then before. "I'm sorry, I don't know..." he choked out, but then a knock came on the door, and I quickly stuffed his mouth with more ambrosia. He drifted off again, and I opened the door to Chiron. He walked over to the boy, _Percy_, and looked at him sadly. "How is he doing?" he asked me.

I rushed over to him. "Chiron, he's doing fine, he's eating the ambrosia. But won't you tell me who—"

Chiron shook his head. "Even I am not positive. He is a mystery. You know that he fought the Minotaur? Yes, and he lost his mother in the process. I'm surprised he survived the attack. But, my dear, you should continue to watch him. Perhaps you should slow down on the ambrosia, but he can still do with some mortal medicine."

I looked at Percy lying there, not knowing what lay ahead for him here at camp. "Yes, Chiron. I'll watch him."

* * *

When he left, I told Argus to watch him so I could slip out and be with my cabin. Obviously, he didn't object, but I could tell he'd rather be doing a lot of other things.

The next day, I did the same, but I asked Grover instead. He agreed to watching Percy, and I hurried to the Big House to find Chiron. He was on the far end of the porch, playing pinochle with Mr. D. I was meaning to talk to Chiron, but I thought better of it since we were in front of Mr. D. I decided to just wait until they were done with the game to talk to him, so I got comfy. After a few minutes I saw Grover coming up the steps, followed closely by a bewildered Percy. He looked up to find the three of us at the table, and when he saw me, I stared at him coolly. Grover whispered something to him, pointing at Mr. D, then me, then at Chiron. Percy stared at Chiron for a moment.

"Mr. Brunner!" he cried, and Chiron turned around, smiling. Mr. Brunner? Oh, yeah, he must have come up with that name when he worked at Percy's school...

"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

Chiron gestured to the seat beside Mr. D, and he glared at Percy before sighing, "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There, now don't expect me to be glad to see you." Well, that was Mr. D for you. Percy looked at him uncomfortably, and scooted away from him.

"Annabeth?" came Chiron's voice. I looked up, and he beckoned me forward with his hand. I walked over to him and Percy, and Chiron said, "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy." He looked at me, and said, "Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven, for now." I nodded.

"Sure, Chiron." I looked at the horn he was holding. He looked at me expectantly, as if I was going to praise him for defeating the beast. Not. This would be easy. I wasn't going to let him think I was easy to win over. Because I wasn't. I smirked at him. "You drool when you sleep," I said, and ran down across the lawn to the cabins.

* * *

When I got to cabin eleven, every camper in there was wrecking havoc. It was utter chaos, as usual. Luke wasn't in sight, so everyone was engaged in a pillow fight or throwing pennies at each other. I walked in, unnoticed, and looked around to see if there was an extra bunk for Percy. There wasn't. Cabin eleven was so full these days, I was pretty sure that the counselors were thinking of extending it. It had to be so uncomfortable. But Chiron wanted me to make room for him, so I had to say something or this would never be over.

"GUYS!" I yelled, and a few heads turned. When the noise quieted down a bit, other heads turned to see what was happening. Finally, I had all their attention, and Luke stepped out of the crowd. I felt myself blushing slightly. _Gods, Annabeth, stop it! _I thought to myself. _He's just a friend._

"What's up, Annabeth?" he asked. I lost my words for a moment. Then I said, "Well, the new boy is finally conscious, and Chiron wanted me to come here to see if there was a place for him, so..." I looked around pointedly, hoping that I was making it clear that they should make room for him. Luke looked around too. Yeah, this was most likely not going to work. Eventually a few girls volunteered to move their sleeping bags a little bit, and in the end there was a small square for him to sleep. Well, better than nothing.

"Thanks, guys," I told them. They had already continued their activities before I finished, so I just grabbed a book of Luke's and sat outside the cabin to wait. Maybe a half hour later, Chiron came by with Percy. I looked at him, sizing him up.

"Annabeth," Chiron said as they walked up to me. "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?" I nodded. "Yes sir."

Chiron turned to Percy. "Cabin eleven," he said. "Make yourself at home." I snorted internally. Percy nodded, staring up at Hermes' cabin. His eyes were fixed up on the caduceus on top of the door.

When the campers saw Chiron, they all bowed, rising only when he said, "Well, then. Good luck Percy. I'll see you at dinner." Percy gave him a short nod, still looking around bewilderedly, and Chiron galloped away. There was an awkward silence, and so I broke it by saying "Well? Go on."

He glanced at me, and then turned to walk into the cabin. He tripped over the step coming in. Go figure. Some of the kids smirked, but otherwise it was quiet. I could tell he wasn't going to say anything, so I took charge.

"Percy Jackson," I told him. "Meet cabin eleven."

"Regular, or undetermined?" someone asked. I looked at Percy. He looked confused, so I answered. "Undetermined." Everyone rolled their eyes and groaned. But Luke stepped forward, saying, "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for!" He looked at Percy. "Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there." He pointed to the little area of floor that was empty and waiting for him. I cleared my throat.

"This is Luke," I said. He looked at me weirdly, and I realized I was probably blushing. I tried to harden my face as much as possible as I explained; "He's your counselor for now." He noticed my word choice.

"For now?" he asked. Luke explained to him. "You're undetermined. They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors." He chuckled. "Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

Percy looked at him, glanced at his spot on the floor, and looked back up to the campers. He spoke for the first time. "How long will I be here?" he asked.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Good question. Until you're determined." Percy still looked confused. "How long will that take?" Everyone snickered. He was _not_ doing this. I sighed. "Come on," I said, hitting his arm. "I'll show you the volleyball court." He raised his eyebrows.

"I've already seen it," he protested. OH MY GODS. How dense was he? "Come _on_," I said irritably, grabbing his wrist and dragging him outside. The kids in cabin eleven all laughed as he walked out.

* * *

When we were a good distance away from the cabin, I pulled him aside and said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" I rolled my eyes. _I can't believe I thought you were the one_, I thought, but I guess I actually said it out loud, because he suddenly burst out, "What's your problem?" His temper was rising.

"All I know is, I kill some bull guy—" Now I was getting mad. Was he really saying this?

"Don't talk like that!" I hissed. I looked around. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?" _ME_.

"To get killed?" he said incredulously. _Really?!_

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" He shook his head. "Look," he said. "If the thing I fought really was _the_ Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."

"Yes," I said.

"Then, there's only _one_."

"Yes," I said, sounding more like a question, because I couldn't see what point he was trying to make.

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right?" _Gajillion_ isn't a word, stupid. "Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..." he trailed off, looking at me for an answer. I sighed. This might take a while.

"Monsters don't _die_, Percy. They can be killed, but they don't _die_."

He made a face. "Oh, thanks. That clears it up." Well, yeah. It does. You're just very slow. I continued, trying my best to stay patient.

"They don't have souls, like you and me," I said. "You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls the archetypes. Eventually, they re-form." His expression was thoughtful. "You mean, if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword..." I knew where this was going.

"The Fur..." I stopped. "I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad." He looked at me,

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"

Ha, ha. "You talk in your sleep," I said. He ignored that, but I was still glad he asked. He changed the subject. "You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?" He looked at me expectantly.

I glanced around; making sure no one had heard him. Boy, he was pretty stupid. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here," I told him. "We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all." Well, that was about all he could take.

"Look," he whined. "Is there anything we _can_ say around here without it thundering?" I raised my eyebrows, and he continued. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." He was pointing to the Zeus and Hera cabins. I gulped.

"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or...your parent." I crossed my arms, waiting for the _OH!_ of sudden realization, but he just made a face and said, "My mom is Sally Jackson. She works at the candy story in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

I felt a stab of sympathy. It had to be hard. I mean, it's not like _my_ dad...well, whatever. My voice softened as I said, "I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."

He shook his head. "He's dead," he told me. He really believed it. "I never knew him." I sighed. _You've done this before, Annabeth. Be patient._ So I broke the news to him. Nice and straight forward. "Your father's not dead, Percy."

His temper rose again. "How can you say that? You know him?" _WHAT?_

"No, of course not," I said, confused.

"Then how can you say—" I cut him off. "Because I know _you_." I gestured to the camp around us. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me," he spat. Ha, ha. That's what you think.

"No?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around, from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them." I would know. He looked freaked out.

"How—" he started, but I didn't stop. "Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

He looked embarrassed. "What does that have to do with anything?" I decided I'd just explain it now and get it over with.

"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for Ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are." I was surprised that he hadn't interrupted me at all. But he wasn't completely stupid. He still noticed—

"You sound like...you went through the same thing?" He was calmer now, and speaking in a near whisper. I nodded.

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar," he said, almost to himself, like he was confirming his worst fear.

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better," I explained. Then I smiled. "That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead." He shivered. Then, I slammed it in his face. "Face it. You're a half-blood."

He stared at me like I was crazy. He probably would've told me that, too, if a voice behind him hadn't called, "Well! A newbie!" Percy turned around. Clarisse. She was followed by three other girls from the Ares cabin. I couldn't help it. "Clarisse, why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

She smirked at me. "Sure, Miss Princess. So I can run you through with it Friday night." That got me, even if it shouldn't have.

"_Erre es korakas!_" I said. "You don't stand a chance." Well, she did, but I wasn't going to tell her that. She could obviously tell I wasn't sure of what I just said.

"We'll pulverize you," she said, and when it came out, she didn't sound too sure either. But she dropped the subject, and turned on Percy. "Who's this little runt?"

I made introductions. "Percy Jackson, meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."

He blinked stupidly. Not good. "Like, the war god?" Clarisse sneered at him.

"You got a problem with that?" I could swear he was going to flinch or say "no", but he spoke up, and surprised me with, "No, it explains the bad smell." Smack.

Clarisse scowled at him. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy," she said, getting his name wrong on purpose. But he spoke up again. "Percy."

"Whatever," she waved her hand. "Come on, I'll show you." This was going nowhere good. "Clarisse..." I started.

She glared at me. "Stay out of it, wise girl." I flinched, but I unwillingly took her advice. Then, Percy handed me the horn in his hand. _Was he seriously going to be the hero? I should tell him—no, he should get a chance. But, Clarisse..._

Out of nowhere, Clarisse grabbed at Percy and held him by the neck. He started to kick and punch, but it was no use. Clarisse dragged him to the bathrooms. I hurried after them, not knowing what to do. I stopped at the door, face in my hands. All the girls were laughing.

"Like he's 'Big Three' material," said Clarisse, pushing him at one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking." Then she grabbed him by his hair and pushed his face to the toilet bowl, as everyone was cheering and laughing. He was pushing against her force, but it looked bad.

And then, a sound came from the stall. The pipes. Clarisse loosened her grip, confused, and in a split second, water came shooting out of the toilet. In a perfect arch over Percy, it hit Clarisse straight in the face. She shook her head, dripping in water. One second passed, and another shot of water came from the pipes. The force was so strong that she landed on her butt. It kept spraying at her, and she skidded into the stall across from the one he was sitting in.

Her friends rushed over to her, but then six other toilets exploded and they were knocked over, too. They were spinning on their butts, and eventually they were forced out the door. All of a sudden the water stopped. Only then did I realize that I was covered in water, too. I looked at Percy in shock. He was sitting on the floor, conveniently placed on the only dry spot. He wasn't wet. His clothes weren't soaked. He glanced at me, in equal shock.

He stood up, and I stuttered, "How did you..." He shook his head. "I don't know."

We walked out the door, and saw Clarisse and her friends still sitting on the ground. She spotted Percy and stared him down. "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."

Well, I'd been with him long enough to know that he wouldn't let that slide.

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth." She was totally going to attack him. Thankfully, her friends held her back. I looked at Percy. He was definitely powerful. A good fighter, too. Maybe...

He saw me staring at him. "What?" he asked. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking," I said, pausing for effect. "That I want you on my team for capture the flag."

* * *

Okay. that chapter took a while. hope you liked it. remember to review!!!!!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

Like any other incident at camp would, the news spread pretty quick. I finished the grand tour as fast as I could, showing Percy the metal shop, the arts-and-crafts room, and the climbing wall (which he stared at in awe for like five minutes). Once I dragged him away from the wall, I led him to the trail by the canoe lake.

"I've got training to do," I told him. He could tell I was upset, which I was, since I was still dripping wet. "Dinner's at seven thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall." His face was very sincere as he said, "Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."

I knew he was sorry, but it would still probably be my fault. "Whatever."

"It wasn't my fault," he insisted. I gave him a skeptic look, and he glanced down. I knew he realized that it _was_ his fault. I sighed, letting my arms down.

"You need to talk to the Oracle."

"Who?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron." He was obviously still not understanding, but he let it drop, looking at the lake. Of course, the naiads were down there, smiling and waving at him. He waved back.

"Don't encourage them," I advised. "Naiads are terrible flirts." He nodded, looking incredulous. "That's it. I want to go home now." Okay, he was _really_ not getting it. I frowned.

"Don't you get it Percy? You _are_ home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"I mean not human. Not _totally_ human, anyway. Half-human."

"Half-human and half-what?" he asked, but he was probably just waiting for me to confirm his fear.

"I think you know."

He looked away, and I knew he knew. "God," he said. "Half-god." I nodded.

"Your father isn't dead, Percy." PAUSE. "He's one of the Olympians." He shook his head a little.

"That's...crazy." Easy enough to explain.

"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?"

"But those are just..." he stopped himself. _Myths_. He dropped the subject, and attacked from another point. "But if all the kids here are half-gods..."

I cut in. "Demigods. That's the official term. Or half-bloods." He nodded like he didn't really care. Jeez. Just helping.

"Then who's your dad?" he challenged. WRONG QUESTION. I played it safe, but he got the message: drop the subject after I answer.

"My dad is a professor at West Point. I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

He looked confused. "He's...human," he said, with a tone like he was asking a question. I raised my eyebrows. What!?!?!

"You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"

"Who's your mom, then?"

"Cabin six," I said, forgetting he didn't know what that meant.

"Meaning?"

I straightened, and, with as much dignity as possible, I said, "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle." He accepted that.

"And my dad?" he asked.

"Undetermined," I said simply. "Like I told you before. Nobody knows."

He shook his head. "Except my mother. She knew."

"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."

But he insisted. "My dad would have. He loved her."

I eyed him cautiously. I doubted it. It was true, most of the time gods never told people who they really were. But I decided to go along with him, I didn't want to make him feel worse.

"Maybe you're right." I said soothingly, "Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens." He looked at me sadly.

"You mean, sometimes it doesn't?"

I had to tell him. I ran my hand on the rail nervously. "The gods are busy," I said carefully. "They have a lot of kids and they don't always...well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us." He spaced out, in deep thought. Finally he snapped out of it and said, more to himself, "So I'm stuck here." He turned to me, and asked, "That's it? For the rest of my life?" Did he ever stop asking questions?

"It depends. Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monster might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."

He looked relieved about something. "So, monsters can't get in here?"

I shook my head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside." His smile dropped.

"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"

I shrugged. "Practice fights, practical jokes."

He paled. "Practical jokes?"

I rolled my eyes. "The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."

He changed the subject. "So, you're a year-rounder?"

I nodded. I pulled out my camp necklace, and he stared at it. "I've been here since I was seven. Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been her longer than most of the counselors, and they're all in college."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why did you come so young?" Does he always ask the wrong questions?

I played my gold ring. "None of your business."

"Oh," he said, making things even more awkward. But then he changed the subject. "So…I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?" Really? What kind of a question is that?

"It would be suicide," I told him, "but you could. With Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless…" I trailed off.

"Unless?" he prompted.

"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time…" I stopped myself. No need to go into last time.

"Back in the sick room," he said quickly, "when you were feeding me that stuff…"

"Ambrosia."

He waved his hand. "Yeah. You asked me about the summer solstice." I tensed. Was he going to confess now? Would I finally know what was going on?

"So you _do_ know something?" I inquired. His lips tightened.

"Well…no." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! "Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of a deadline. What did that mean?"

I clenched my fists. He didn't know anything I didn't. Dang. "I wish I knew," I told him desperately. "Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong on Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so _normal_."

He looked shocked. "You've been to Olympus?" Duh.

"Some of us year-rounders, Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others, we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."

"But…how did you get there?" I made a face at him. Really?

"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor." Shouldn't he know this already? "You _are_ a New Yorker, right?"

"Oh, sure," he agreed. I continued.

"Right after we visited, the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen," I said. Why was I telling him this? But I didn't stop. "And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping—I mean, Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course, she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."

He shook his head sadly. Great. "I've got to get a quest," I said aloud, more to myself. "I'm not too young! If they would just tell me the problem…"

Percy's stomach growled. I laughed inwardly. "You go on, I'll catch you later." He left, and I was left alone on the pier, swallowed by all my thoughts and problems. When I couldn't see him anymore, I ran off to get ready for dinner. I walked into the cabin and only Malcolm and Andrew were there. "Almost dinner time," I told them. They both looked up from their books and nodded.

Just then the rest of my cabin walked in, talking and laughing. They went off to their bunks, and we waited for the horn. Sure enough, five minutes later it sounded. I stood up, saying, "Alright, Athena. Line up." We headed up to the mess hall, and only Ares and Dionysus was there. After we got settled, eleven came in and they all ran for a seat. I watched as Percy sat down on one of the far ends, with hardly any bench space.

Chiron pounded his hoof, raising his glass and saying, "To the gods." We all followed suit. The food was served, and everyone started to get up for offerings. I dropped a few strawberries into the fire, saying, "Athena." _Mom, I hope he's the one. I know I can help._

I went back to the table, and waited for Mr. D to talk. Chiron pounded his hoof again, and Mr. D stood up sighing. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels." Clarisse and her cabin mates all cheered.

"Personally," said Mr. D, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson." I rolled my eyes. Chiron whispered something to him. "Er, Percy Jackson. That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on." We all cheered. We settled ourselves in the amphitheater, and Apollo led the sing-along.

After a while, the horn blew again and I led Athena back to the cabin. I didn't sleep well that night.


End file.
